PINA

One of the world’s most important courts will advise states on their responsibilities for curbing global emissions and the legal consequences of inaction, following unprecedented consensus on the subject at the UN. At a General Assembly meeting in New York Wednesday, governments approved a resolution recognising the huge challenge of climate change and calling on the International Court of Justice...

The carbon credit industry has successfully fought off a push by some of the most climate vulnerable nations to place a mandatory levy on carbon offsets to fund climate change adaptation measures. The Alliance of Small Island developing States (AOSIS) wanted new guidelines on carbon credits to recommend that a mandatory five percent levy on carbon credit revenues. The money...

Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General Henry Puna is wrapping up a week of stakeholder sessions in Niue with a visit to the national college, Niue High. The visit to the college, where he will speak at the school assembly and present the head girl and boy with copies of the 2050 strategy will be especially symbolic – the strategy provides...

Donald Trump has been indicted by a Manhattan grand jury, prosecutors and defense lawyers said Thursday, making him the first former U.S president to face a criminal charge and jolting his bid to retake the White House next year. The charges remained under seal late Thursday, but the investigation centered on payments made during the 2016 presidential campaign to silence...

New Zealand is welcoming a decision by the United Nations General Assembly to ask the International Court of Justice to consider countries’ international legal obligations on climate change. The United Nations has voted unanimously to adopt a resolution led by Vanuatu to ask the ICJ for an advisory opinion on states’ climate change obligations. “This decision has the potential to change...

By Sanjesni Kumar The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has agreed to seek the International Court of Justice’s opinion on the obligations of states regarding climate change and human rights. The resolution passed by consensus on Wednesday this week is historic and is a victory of climate justice for Vanuatu and Pacific youth groups should as it means that major polluters...

A group of Pacific Island students who were instrumental in pushing a UN resolution that should make it easier to hold polluting countries legally accountable for failure to act on the climate crisis have greeted its adoption as historic. “Young people across the world will recall the day when we were able to get the world’s highest court, the international...

New Caledonia's pro-independence FLNKS say they will tell the French Prime Minister of the Kanak pepole's "sense of humiliation" over the last independence referendum. The pro-independence alliance is set to talk to the French State from 07-15 April. Secretary-general of the Caledonian Union, Pascal Sawa, told La Premiere they need to discuss what happened in the referendum vote in 2021, which...

The World Bank has officially opened a permanent office in Pohnpei in the Federated States of Micronesia, following several years of an expanding presence and portfolio across the North Pacific. The new regional hub will play a vital role in delivering the near USD half-billion in total support across Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), Marshall Islands, and Palau. World Bank assistance...

Queensland’s economic presence in the Pacific will be strengthened by the appointment of Leata Alaimoana as Trade Commissioner for the region. Alaimoana was Impact Investment Manager with Pacific Trade Invest Australia - the trade and investment arm for the Pacific Islands Forum The Pacific Trade Commissioner is part of the Pacific Engagement Plan funded under the $150 million (US$100 million) Queensland...